GMAT Club

MBA Admissions All-in Services Reviews

Since 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) clients have been admitted to every top business school worldwide, often with merit scholarships. SBC has a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every top MBA program in-house. The SBC team has MBA expertise at every top US and EU school, has graduated from the best MBA programs and understands career paths in every industry, traditional and non- traditional. 

SBC deeply values mentor-ship within its client engagements and limits the number of clients for each consultant, engaging with clients only after its Validation Team evaluates candidacy strength. Stacy Blackman Consulting delivers results, as shown through its record of the highest number of online reviews across multiple sites, such as YELP. SBC offers a limited number of free consultations weekly for inquiries who have been pre-screened by our tenured team. Contact us for a free consultation to request time with an SBC Principal.      
5.0 /5 Average Rating
5 star
574
4 star
18
3 star
0
2 star
1
1 star
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Based on 593 reviews
+ 1 non-rated reviews

AI Super-Summary of Customer Reviews for MBA Admissions All-in Services*

Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) receives praise from numerous clients for its effective and supportive MBA admissions consulting services. Many reviewers highlight the personalized and dedicated guidance provided by experienced consultants, such as Beth, Caryn, and Meg, who help applicants craft compelling narratives, focus on key strengths, and confidently prepare for interviews. The team-based approach, extensive resources, and insights from former admissions officers are frequently mentioned as invaluable, aiding clients in gaining admissions to top business schools like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, and more, often with scholarships. While the services are noted as an investment, the outcomes suggest it is well worth it for those serious about securing positions in leading MBA programs.
17 users mention "Admitted"
  • "I was accepted at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business..." Read more
  • "admissions to both HBS and Stanford GSB..." Read more
  • "admission to both Booth and Kellogg..." Read more
  • "I was able to gain acceptance into my desired program-Wharton..." Read more
  • "gained me admission to the program..." Read more
  • "worth every penny and made my HBS application process smooth and stress-free..." Read more
  • "happy to be accepting admissions to Booth..." Read more
  • "I was admitted to FIVE MBA programs: GSB, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, and Stern (with a full ride)..." Read more
  • "admission to Chicago Booth, Northwestern Kellogg, Wharton (with scholarship), MIT Sloan (with scholarship), and Dartmouth Tuck..." Read more
  • "They helped me gain admission to Darden and Ross (w/ scholarship)..." Read more
  • "Got in to the three programs I applied to (McCombs, Anderson and Fuqua), 2 with scholarships..." Read more
  • "obtained a T20 MBA Admit with scholarship..." Read more
  • "got accepted to both CBS and Wharton..." Read more
  • "admitted to Haas, Anderson, and Marshall..." Read more
  • "admitted into HBS and Wharton's HCM Program..." Read more
  • "admitted to CBS, UVA, UNC , UT McCombs, USC and UCLA..." Read more
  • "offers of admission to Columbia and Wharton..." Read more
15 users mention "Full Service"
  • "gave me a very accurate assessment of my chances at multiple top schools and encouraged me to apply even though I had doubts about my own candidacy..." Read more
  • "worked with Caryn on 3 schools for round 1, and was fortunate enough to gain admission to both HBS and Stanford GSB..." Read more
  • "fantastic. I embarked on this journey after speaking with eight different consultants..." Read more
  • "working with Meg and SBC was the single most important decision I made..." Read more
  • "received valuable feedback from my flight tester Amy..." Read more
  • "work closely with Beth, a former AdCom member..." Read more
  • "meg helped me craft essays that were uniquely me and uniquely powerful..." Read more
  • "the all-in package was no-hassle. It included everything from interview prep to a Flight Test..." Read more
  • "working with Amy to apply to the Wharton/Lauder dual degree program and she was fantastic..." Read more
  • "with Margaret Orenstein and Stacy Blackman Consulting..." Read more
  • "as my primary consultant..." Read more
  • "recommended Lisa as my primary consultant..." Read more
  • "Amy Hazen, my consultant..." Read more
  • "Geri was my primary consultant..." Read more
  • "multitude of services to help you reach your MBA goals..." Read more
14 users mention "Supportive"
  • "matched me with Margaret Orenstein, who was instrumental in guiding me as I crafted my story with such great responsiveness, insights, and personalization to me..." Read more
  • "Caryn was my accountability partner throughout my process she kept me on track, focused on what mattered most..." Read more
  • "I knew she would provide equal doses of encouragement and honesty at the right times..." Read more
  • "my primary partner and ultimate support system during the grueling application process..." Read more
  • "demonstrated an impressive knowledge of the programs and was a pleasure to work with..." Read more
  • "Amy helped me craft my story to spin that to my advantage, which gained me admission to the program..." Read more
  • "and was able to tackle any and all concerns..." Read more
  • "helped me think about career goals, what aspects of a school I want..." Read more
  • "Amy encouraged me to embrace my authentic voice..." Read more
  • "Beth genuinely sought to understand me, helping me craft an authentic and compelling application..." Read more
  • "substantial team support particularly during the flight test..." Read more
  • "Constructive and supportive feedback..." Read more
  • "helped me put forth the most holistically sound, authentic application..." Read more
  • "felt prepared going into the interviews..." Read more
11 users mention "Top-Tier School Focus"
  • "I was accepted at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business..." Read more
  • "admission to both HBS and Stanford GSB..." Read more
  • "fortunate to be admitted to Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, and Darden..." Read more
  • "acceptance into my desired program-Wharton..." Read more
  • "successful admission to Kellogg, McCombs, and Anderson, with the added bonus of scholarships..." Read more
  • "successful in getting accepted to a top school..." Read more
  • "gained me admission to the program..." Read more
  • "former HBS student, was able to give me excellent insight..." Read more
  • "applying to a broad range of schools and ended up getting admitted to CBS, UVA, UNC , UT McCombs, USC and UCLA..." Read more
  • "test prep for my Wharton Team Based Discussion..." Read more
  • "help prepare you for the application and interviews..." Read more
10 users mention "Scholarship Awarded"
  • "ended up with acceptances from Kellogg (with $), Columbia, Stern, and Sloan (with $)..." Read more
  • "admitted to Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, and Darden, all with varying levels of scholarship..." Read more
  • "with the added bonus of scholarships at Kellogg and McCombs..." Read more
  • "managed to walk away with a full ride and half ride to a few schools..." Read more
  • "Stern (with a full ride)..." Read more
  • "Wharton (with scholarship), MIT Sloan (with scholarship), and Dartmouth Tuck (with substantial scholarship)..." Read more
  • "Ross (w/ scholarship)..." Read more
  • "2 with scholarships..." Read more
  • "obtained a T20 MBA Admit with scholarship..." Read more
  • "with full-tuition scholarships at Kellogg and Columbia..." Read more
6 users mention "Industry Specialist"
  • "investment to partner with SBC to help me put my best foot forward in the MBA admissions process..." Read more
  • "experience as a former Kellogg AdComm member was an incredible differentiator..." Read more
  • "admission to both Booth and Kellogg..." Read more
  • "thank Bill enough for his assistance during my EMBA application journey..." Read more
  • "my consultant, was so supportive and easy to work with no question was ever too small..." Read more
  • "Margaret's experience in Management Consulting..." Read more
5 users mention "Detail-Oriented"
  • "enabled me to weave together all my life experiences and ambitions..." Read more
  • "Beth's personalized approach and attention to detail undoubtedly played a crucial role in my successful admission..." Read more
  • "meg really helped me unlock the potential of my application..." Read more
  • "extremely detail-oriented and her experience as a former Admissions Director really shined through..." Read more
  • "helping me to refine my story and tie it all together..." Read more
4 users mention "Responsive"
  • "such great responsiveness..." Read more
  • "was always able to be reached..." Read more
  • "Geri was absolutely lovely! She was always extremely quick to respond..." Read more
  • "very responsive and I was able to get great feedback..." Read more
2 users mention "Waitlist Support"
2 users mention "Value for Money"
  • "a big investment, but I treated it as an investment in myself: I wanted to put my best foot forward, and it definitely paid off..." Read more
  • "a lot less stressful than anticipated..." Read more
2 users mention "Career Transition"
  • "had a bit of a varied background in terms of my career to-date..." Read more
  • "an incredibly valuable resource to me..." Read more
1 users mention "Non-traditional Backgrounds"
  • "as an early careerist, I had concerns and challenges..." Read more
*Review summaries are AI generated from 25 latest reviews in the past 2 years.
February 15, 2020
gco555

Joined: Feb 15, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q48 V42

Joey was amazing!

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Joey was paired with me and quickly showed to be a thoughtful, really smart, and just overall awesome coach and person to work with! He really took time to understand my background and aims for business school -- really a ton of thought and effort here -- and it proved quite valuable when we began discussing a plan for applications and making the actual materials.

I especially valued his feedback in that he understood my style and approach while also being super critical. He's an excellent writer and storyteller and his feedback was invaluable. All the materials I prepared struck a strong message and story thanks in large part to Joey, and I got into my dream school as a result.

His general coaching and helpfulness in all aspects was really outstanding. It was a pleasure working with Joey and I highly recommend him for helping prepare B school applications!

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February 09, 2020
philmunyao

Joined: Aug 30, 2018

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q49 V39

Fantastic Service, Highly Recommended!

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I am an international engineer and a re-applicant. Following a rough application season in 2018 where I was dinged without interview at all 3 schools I applied to, I knew I needed to seek help from a professional consulting service.

What drew me to Stacy Blackman is the team work the team embodies. I had spoken to Esther Magna, when I was still contemplating an MBA and had not even taken the GMAT. She immediately reached out to me upon my request for a free consultation. She was very forthright about my candidacy and was also very understanding of my desire to not rush through a R2 2018 application despite the fact that I am an older candidate. It was this blend of honesty about my chances at some schools and the flexibility to accommodate me that made me choose SBC.

I was paired with Sherry Holland and she immediately got to work, crafting a strategy for the upcoming application season. I went for the 4 school all-in package and while the applications were gruelling, Sherry made it enjoyable and I daresay, fun! She was meticulous and organised, and kept me on task by setting deadlines for different milestones. I did not feel as harried or stressed as I had with my previous applications. She did a great job managing my recommenders, which is one of the more stressful parts of the application. She also was not afraid to tell me when I had a wrong path with regards to the essays. We had to do a lot of course correction throughout the process.

I benefited from the Flight Test, which was done by Beth Tidmarsh, who offered may useful insights that really made my application shine. The teamwork at SBC is truly unparallelled!

In the end, I was admitted to 3 of the 4 schools I applied to, all with significant scholarship! I know for sure this would not have been possible without Sherry and the extended team at Stacy Blackman.

I will be attending Tuck in the fall and I am eternally grateful to the team at SBC! I highly recommend Sherry and SBC.

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January 23, 2020
ez472

Joined: Jan 23, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Highly Recommend Caryn at SBC

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Knowing I wanted to employ a consultant in my MBA application process, I interviewed several firms and spoke with no less than 5 consultants before deciding on Caryn, who was highly ranked as a consultant already at the time. Working with Caryn, she was proactive, responsive, and I can tell her years of experience as an adcom officer lent her true expertise when it came to MBA admissions. Most importantly, she helped me to craft my story and explain my somewhat unorthodox post-MBA goals in a way that was both true to myself and worked well for the admissions process.
It was upon her suggestion that I applied to the Lauder/Wharton joint program, which we realized was an extremely good fit given my background and future goals, and where I will be matriculating this Spring (2020). Really happy with the guidance Caryn and the broader SBC team provided (including the Flight Test, and mock interviews) during this nearly year-long journey. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to apply to top programs, and are looking to craft/refine their story to stand out from the multitudes of applicants with competitive but common stats/scores/backgrounds!

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January 22, 2020
pod2020

Joined: Jan 22, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q43 V42

I utilized SBC's All-In package for two different schools and some hourly support for second round applications. I was paired with Yvette Romero, who was a fantastic support system throughout the entire application process. I had a very weak background as far as competitive GPA's and GMAT go (2.47 and 710 with a verbal heavy split), so I was definitely operating at a disadvantage during the process. Yvette helped me clarify ways to bring out the strengths of my technical career as well as ways to highlight the other strengths of my personal story. I've happily accepted an admissions offer from Kellogg with a scholarship, and that would not have been possible without her guidance. SBC is an expensive proposition but if you're serious about business school application and you have weak points in your profile, I highly recommend Yvette.

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January 21, 2020
BearsSB2021

Joined: Jan 21, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Accepted at two top 5 programs

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I was very pleased with my decision to work with a Stacy Blackman admissions consultant, and Kim's guidance throughout the application process exceeded all of my expectations. With Kim's help, I was accepted into two top 5 MBA programs and received scholarship money to one of them.

Based on an initial kick-off meeting, Kim was able to effectively identify the strengths and weaknesses throughout my application which allowed me to target certain sections of the application to fine-tune.

More importantly, Kim worked with me for over 8 months throughout the process and gained an understanding of my personality and values in order to help me showcase my true self and stand out as a candidate.

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January 19, 2020
BrockHummus

Joined: Jun 14, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Thanks Caryn & SBC!

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At the start of my MBA application journey, I had intro calls with consultants at many of the major firms (Fortuna, Veritas, SBC, etc.). The intro call with SBC was all I needed to realize that the firm struck the perfect balance between having unparalleled resources, an outstanding track record, and a genuine interest in my success.

Instead of merely assigning me to a consultant based on my profile or target school, Bill gave me suggestions for SBC consultants who he thought would be a good fit for my working-style and application strategy more broadly. I had intro calls with numerous SBC consultants before choosing to work with Caryn Altman.

I worked with Caryn on applications for five schools and ended up getting into four of them (Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, and Fuqua – Fuqua with scholarship). I come from an overrepresented applicant pool, non-feeder firm, and have a lower GMAT score than the average of almost every school I applied to. I owe a tremendous amount of my success to Caryn who was nothing short of terrific throughout every phase of the application process. She has an imitate knowledge of what ad coms at top programs are looking for and was able to use that knowledge to help me shape my story to highlight the unique characteristics of my profile in essays, interviews, etc.

I’m so thankful for Caryn and the rest of the team at SBC for turning my dream into a reality!

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January 03, 2020
amdmba

Joined: May 29, 2018

Posts: 1

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q46 V41

Round 1 Success Story - Thanks to Sherry and SBC

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I had a great experience working with Sherry to prepare multiple Round 1 applications in 2019. I specifically chose to work with Sherry because of her experience as a former admissions officer at Fuqua/Duke. Following our initial kickoff call, it was clear that she knew her stuff and I was reassured in my decision to work with SBC. The company takes a team-based approach to helping their clients. In addition to my consultant, parts of my application were reviewed by another former MBA admissions officer during the “flight test” phase and my resume was reviewed by another member of SBC as a helpful second-set of eyes.

In the summer leading up to Round 1 deadlines, Sherry and I devised a comprehensive “bragsheet” which was extremely useful in synthesizing my work, education and extra-curricular accomplishments. Based on my applicant profile, Sherry helped me select several MBA programs that aligned with my interests/goals and provided me with candid and actionable feedback on my strengths and weaknesses. Sherry provided timely feedback (within 48 hours response time) on resume structure/content, essay brainstorming and any other application questions.

My main application deficiency had been my GMAT score which was not very competitive for a top-15 program. Three weeks prior to the Round 1 deadline, I achieved a competitive GMAT score for schools that I had previously considered out of reach. Sherry was extremely encouraging and urged me to apply to a top-10 MBA program with a school profile that matched my interests/ambitions. Throughout the course of 14 days, she helped me prepare a strong Round 1 application and even took time out of her weekend to conduct a one-on-one mock interview with me.

In December, I received the good news that I had been accepted to the top-10 program (with merit scholarship)! I couldn’t be more excited and I appreciate Sherry’s assistance and flexibility in helping me finalize a successful series of Round 1 applications.

Sherry and SBC have all the resources and skills necessary to prepare any MBA applicant and decipher the challenging process of applying to business school. I highly recommend Sherry and SBC to anyone interested in applying to a top MBA program.

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January 02, 2020
ccounts

Joined: Jan 02, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q45 V44

Sherry is great and the SBC team is incredibly helpful

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Sherry was incredibly easy to work with and helped me with the entire process. She provided valuable feedback on my essays, did mock interviews, and helped me with my strategy. Sherry's experience working on an AdCom allowed her to answer all of my nitty gritty questions and deal with more complicated aspects of my application. Then entire SBC team helped me along the way from my initial consultation which gave me the confidence to apply, to a flight tester who read my application like an AdCom member would. I did the three school all in package and was accepted (including multiple scholarships) to all three schools (Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua)

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January 02, 2020
clucas

Joined: Jan 02, 2020

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
700 Q44 V41

Cannot recommend Beth and SBC enough!

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I highly recommend Beth and the entire team at SBC. Beth was my primary partner throughout the business school application process; I was ultimately accepted to Darden, Kellogg, Stern, Ross, and Fuqua (with a scholarship!). Based upon my numbers (3.3 GPA, 700 GMAT, not a particularly strong quant background), receiving this many admissions offers at such great schools is something that I truly didn’t think was possible for me.

I was referred to SBC through a personal connection and, following an initial conversation, knew that it was the right choice for me. Beth and the rest of the SBC team struck a perfect balance between providing constructive criticism on my school choices and essays while always being immensely supportive. I was constantly impressed by Beth’s deep knowledge of the MBA application process and schools. I also appreciated SBC’s team-based approach. I always felt that I was getting the most accurate answers possible to my questions.

I was also incredibly impressed by Beth’s ability to help me to elevate my admissions essays, while ensuring that my personal voice was always coming through. We did a mock interview which was very helpful and played a large part in my success in the interviews to come. Beth also pushed me to take “Math for Management” which strengthened my application through supplementing my minimal quant background and helped me to prepare for business school next year.

Lastly, amidst the incredibly stressful and daunting MBA admissions process, Beth was an amazing partner. I feel that she truly cared about me and went out of her way to build our relationship. She has also helped me to think beyond rankings and to really ascertain my “fit” at each of the schools that I applied to.

I’m so thankful that I made the decision to go with SBC and Beth!

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December 21, 2019
usabp9

Joined: Jun 07, 2018

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

SBC & Beth - Best money I have EVER spent!!!

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Working with SBC and Beth was hands down the best decision I could have made and completely worth the investment! Heading to Tuck next fall and am over the moon!! With confidence, I can say that I would not have accomplished this without Beth, her belief in me, and the entire SBC team!

To give some background - I applied the previous year with all rejections and was feeling so down about everything. Through networking, I realized I needed help to tell my story and decided to explore hiring a consultant. I came across SBC and four other firms, and reached out to all. Only one seriously got back to me willing to discuss - SBC. At this point, I was feeling such a lack of confidence. Sarah from SBC responded straight away and paired me with Beth to have a ding analysis done on my previous applications. Sarah really got me excited about giving this process another go.

From my initial discussion with Beth, I knew that we were a great match! She had thoughts on how I could improve my application and believed in my potential for a top MBA program. That meant the absolute world to me, and I hired her for three "All-In" packages. During the course of this journey, I actually ended up hiring her for additional hourly support to help with parts of my other applications.

Working with Beth was just FANTASTIC! Seriously, there aren't enough words to describe just how great she was to work with! She ALWAYS had my best interest at heart and spent time to understand what was important to me and what I could bring into my application. She followed up before and after ALL of my class visits, interviews and decision dates - I felt like she really cared about me and my success. She went above and beyond helping me to make my applications as good as they could be and her meticulousness was something that took my applications to the next level. Beth helped me stay on track with my timeline and was overall a great support system throughout the entire process. I felt so prepared going into my interviews and ended up getting into 3 programs - Tuck, Anderson and Tepper. I couldn't be happier!

Onto SBC - there are some products that they offer that I found to be absolute game changers. First, their flight test process is SO smart. They had another consultant on their team - Caryn - look at one of my applications to give it a fresh perspective. We ended up making a few adjustments that made my application even better! They provide a mock interview tool and have a SBC wiki page to reference. It's really well done - and all of their consultants are the best in the industry. I spoke with friends who had consultants from other firms and they were in shock when I mentioned the support SBC was providing me. It really is next level, and I can say that you won't be disappointed.

I will be forever grateful for the entire SBC team and Beth!! This journey wouldn't have been as enjoyable without them!!

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198 Older and Non-Verified Reviews for Stacy Blackman Consulting